By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 6, 2015
David Ferrer grinded out a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2 victory over John Isner to set up a Paris Masters semifinal versus Andy Murray.
Photo credit: Corinne Dubreuil/FFT
Renovations to the AccorHotels Arena, including expansive video screens and enhanced lighting and sound, can create a rock-concert atmosphere for match play.
David Ferrer turned the place into a torture chamber today.
More: Murray Grounds Gasquet
Shrugging aside a second-set lapse when he blew a pair of match points, Ferrer methodically drained John Isner's legs, left his stomach in knots and sweat-soaked clothes clinging to his lanky frame. Ferrer dished out the biggest pain of all denying the American's aim for a season-ending Top 10 ranking with a punishing 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2 Paris Masters victory.
Three years ago, Ferrer made history as the oldest Paris Masters champion at 30 years, seven months. Tomorrow, he will face nemesis Andy Murray for a spot in the final. The second-seeded Scot subdued French hope Richard Gasquet, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3.
Murray has won 10 of 16 matches with Ferrer, including a four-set Roland Garros quarterfinal victory in their lone meeting this year.
Empowered by perhaps his most complete match of the year when he showed all-court craft edging Roger Federer in a three-set thriller, Isner took the court today knowing a win would clinch the first year-end Top 10 ranking of his career. And drained from that two hour, 16-minute win over the Grand Slam king.
Credit Isner for his fighting spirit. He staved off a pair of match points when Ferrer served for the semifinals at 5-3 in the second set to eventually force the decider. Isner, who had both thighs taped and took treatment for a biceps issue and upset stomach, expended effort, sweat, multiple wardrobe changes and even a couple of his sweat-saturated caps he tossed to fans as parting gifts on his way out.
Ferrer calmly reloaded after his second-set lapse and struck with menacing intent throughout the final set.
Isner unloaded 27 aces against Federer. It took him 27 minutes and four service games before he finally hit an ace today—on a kick second serve—eventually holding for 3-4.
Lacking some explosiveness on serve in the opener, Isner was no match for the agile Spaniard in extended rallies. Ferrer broke a second time to take the opening set.
Stamping a love hold to start the second set, Ferrer had won 13 of the prior 15 points against the lagging American.
Still, Isner battled with vigor. Shaking his arm loose between serves, Isner worked through a seven-minute hold for 1-all in the second set. He punctuated the game pointing to his biceps and asking the chair umpire to call for the trainer.
Operating like a moving vise, Ferrer squeezed open space and energy from Isner. Trying to go big on a second serve, Isner missed the box completely as Ferrer broke for 5-3.
The towering American was teetering, but Isner refused to go down.
He saved a pair of match points, clocking a backhand winner down the line to erase the second. A suddenly jittery Ferrer double faulted to gift break point. Isner danced around a backhand and crushed an inside-out forehand with damaging intention, breaking back for 4-5.
In the tie break, Ferrer hit a forehand winner to save set point at 5-6. Isner bolted a two-handed backhand winner down the line for a second set point.
He slashed a serve winner out wide to snatch the set. The effort catapulted coach Justin Gimelstob from his front-row seat throwing an upper cut clenched fist toward his charge.
Isner, who was leaking so much sweat it looked like he had been dipped in the Seine, took about an eight-minute break for a complete clothing and sock change leaving three saturated Lacoste baseball caps behind.
Ferrer was already bouncing around by the time Isner resumed play moving with the creakiness of a jet-lagged traveler. Still, Isner dug in and fought off five break points in a nine-minute game. Ferrer incurred a code violation warning after howling in the direction of a linesman who missed a call on break point.
After that, it was all business. Ferrer has beaten Isner in six of seven meetings because he reads the massive-server's toss, can cut off the kick serve before it gets above his shoulders and can take the ball early and dictate play at times as well as defend.
Isner took a four-and-half-minute medical time-out for a stomach ailment, but he couldn't shake the sting of Ferrer's shots. The Spaniard bolted a forehand passing to break for 3-1 as part of a 12-point tear to put the match out of reach.
Fighting off Ferrer in a final seat this season is tougher than completing an obstacle course while suffering from the flu. Ferrer, who saved eight of nine break points in his three-set comeback win over Grigor Dimitrov yesterday, raised his decisive-set record to 15-1 in 2015.